A perplexing situation arises when clinically treating professional or elite athletes for injuries. Determining a fair way to assess these athletes for impairments and disability can be elusive. Conventional systems for assessing athlete injuries are based on the American Medical Association (AMA) guides to impairment and disability. These rules that govern impairments and disability for employee injuries, including the industrial working population, are state specific. After maximal medical improvement, if a permanent impairment is present, awards are based on the AMA guides to determine wage loss compensation.
Conventional methodologies for assessing athlete injuries leave much to be desired. For instance functional losses cannot be directly correlated with musculoskeletal impairment ratings. Further, evidence based research is lacking and there is limited data to support impairment percentages for the musculoskeletal system. Pain is usually a major complaint and is subjective. Still further, the system and methodology do not enable an examining physician to go beyond the AMA guides and incorporate adjustments for any functional loss. Thus, professional athlete injuries are analyzed using a standard system that applies to the industrial working population.
Accordingly there is an unaddressed need in the industry to address the aforementioned and other deficiencies and inadequacies.